What do you think is the important component of a client relationship? Is it:

Regular communication?

Sharing the same values?

Having a strong personal connection?

We think these are all very important but we believe that the top component is TRUST.

Trust is the foundation of a good business relationship. If your customers don’t trust you, they won’t tell you where and how they need help. If they don’t tell you their problems, you can’t discuss possible solutions. If they think you don’t know what you’re talking about, they’ll move on to someone who does.

Not only is establishing trust necessary to close deals, it also pays long-term dividends. Customers return to suppliers that have served them well in the past, and give referrals to their friends and colleagues.

The bottom line is that people don’t buy from or refer customers to people they don’t trust.

Trust builds naturally over time. But sometimes you won’t have months or years to spend with your customers and prospects so here are 6 good tips to help you build trust quickly.

1) Do your homework.

You’ve researched your prospect’s company -- now you have to research your point of contact to understand who they are. You should know the following:

How senior are they?

What’s the best way to provide them information? For example do they read emails, prefer phone calls, react to texts, feel comfy on Skype…..

What is important to them? How do they personally benefit from working with you?

2) Start with a strong introduction.

Be humble, but establish your capabilities -- your prospect has no reason to trust you otherwise. Show your credentials. Explain your background and your relevant accomplishments. Stop short of being self-promotional and obnoxious, but let your prospect know you’re someone they can trust.

Have you helped customers with similar problems? Did you come from the industry your prospect works in now? Let them know.

3) Put your prospect at ease.

Find out what makes your prospect tick. This is where your research pays off. Look for a ‘me too’ opportunity. For example, they support team A, so do you….. they like hiking, so do you….. ‘Me too’ builds trust more quickly than any other tool

4) Try to understand their challenges.

Ask your prospect open-ended questions about their problem to start the conversation. Then, listen to what they say and focus your conversation on interesting points. Dig into any specifics that jump out at you. Don’t worry that you’re getting too deep - not only does a high level of detail empower you to better solve your prospect’s problem, asking questions also demonstrates that you care about their issues and aren’t just trying to check items off a list.

5) Get on your prospect’s level.

This one’s especially important if your prospect’s personality is extremely different from your own.

Try to mimic your prospect’s mannerisms and voice tone. Don’t take it too far, but research shows that people respond positively to being mirrored.

6) Don’t be too salesy.

People don’t want to be sold to -- they want to choose to buy. Focus on helping. If business doesn’t come straight away, don’t worry, they will remember you when they actually do have a need.